NEW GUINEA COUNCIL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29390, 17 December 1960, Page 13

NEW GUINEA COUNCIL

Election To Be Held In March

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.) PORT MORESBY, December 16 Election day for 1,800.000 natives and 25.000 Europeans to choose 12 members to sit in Papua-New Guinea’s reconstituted Legislative Council was today set down for March 18.

The Administrator, Brigadier D. M. Cleland, in an official statement said that candidates would have until February 7 to announce their nomination. The elections would be held on March 18 and the first session of the new council would begin on April 10. he said.

The announcement was made after four days of talks in Canberra between the Administrator and the Minister for Territories. Mr Paul Hasluck. Brigadier Cleland flew to Australia last Sunday and returned to Port Moresby yesterday. The former council was reconstituted by the Australian Government amending the Papua-New Guinea Act in September.

The new council will have six e.ected native members, six elected European members and 10 nominated members, including five natives.

Native membership in the old Council was restricted to three nominated members. The number of official Government members has been reduced from 17 to 15 Elected native members are to be chosen by representatives elected by the territory’s 40 local government councils and other “electoral groups” to be defined by the Administrator. Brigadier Cleland said today that he would announce these groups early in the new year.